FIFA bans South African official over match-fixing scandal

FIFA on Wednesday banned former top South African official Lindile Kika for six years for his role in a major match-fixing scandal with Asian betting syndicates before South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup.

Kika, the former South Africa Football Association director of national teams, was one of five officials named in a FIFA report on match-fixing.

FIFA’s ethics committee adjudicatory said it had banned Kika “from all football-related activities at national and international level for six years.”

It said the action followed an inquiry into “several international friendly matches played in South Africa in 2010.”

An earlier FIFA report told how Singapore-based convicted match fixer Wilson Perumal and his Football 4U organisation had linked up with officials in South Africa to fix matches before the country held the 2010 World Cup in 2010.

FIFA found the results of warm-up matches against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala were fixed.